Prayer - O God, Our Father, We Your Children Wait for Your Blessing

O God, our Father, we Your children wait for Your blessing before we go forth to the work and the care of this new day. We thank You for the blessings You have given to us in our sleep. You have renewed in us our exhausted strength, and built up again that which yesterday's toil had torn down. We are strong this morning, and ready for another day's work -- because of the blessings You have given to us in our sleep.

We consecrate now to You, our lives for this new day. Take us and use us as You will. We do not want to make our own plans, for we are too short-sighted; and would be sure to plan only for present comfort or for earthly prosperity. We would rather that You would reveal to us Your plan for our day. It may not be easy -- but we know it is wiser and better than our way could be, for You see the end from the beginning, and You chose the best things for us. We lay our plans at Your feet, and ask You to use them, if they are the best; but if not, to set them aside, that Your plan for the day may work unhindered in us.

We pray for our neighbors. Some of them are sick. May You remember these, and grant them healing and restoration. Send them Your comfort in their pain, and grant that they may be richly profited by the experiences through which they are passing. Some of our neighbors have come through sorrows. Heal their wounded hearts, and give them comfort, which will make them stronger to endure their grief, and help them to find the blessing You have wrapped up for them in their sorrow.

Receive us now into Your care for this day; bless and keep us and use us as You will. We ask in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

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FRIDAY EVENING

In the quiet and hush of the eventide, we come to You, our Father. We went out this morning from Your presence, sent out by You. We tried to do Your will, although ofttimes we came short. We ask You at the close of the day, for forgiveness for Jesus' sake.

You have kept us through the unseen dangers. Not a moment was Your eye withdrawn from us. You have carried us in Your heart in all our goings and comings. No mother's watchfulness over her child, is so constant and so loving as is Your watchfulness over us. We thank You for Your safe keeping. We thank You, too, for all the blessings that came to us today. May we keep these divine gifts. Even when the things that came were but for the day, like the bread we ate and the water we drank -- yet may Your blessing in them stay in our lives forever.

May You gather up all our work for You today, and let none of it be lost. We ask that You will take what we have done, and make it part of Your abiding kingdom. May the words we have spoken, minister grace to those who heard them. Forgive our idle words, and bless every good thing that we said to anyone. May all the good influences and impressions of our lives, stay in the world; and whatever has not been healthful, pure, and inspiring -- may You blot out.

We would remember tonight those for whom life is hard. The world is too much for their feeble strength. They are defeated in its battles, and ofttimes lie wounded in the dust. Lift them up again, Father, and let them not sink away in eternal death. Be the God of those who have failed -- and help them to rise again. Keep us tonight, our Father, from all danger, and give us quiet rest. We ask it in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.